Urgent Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation
22 September 2018

Good news from overseas: Maria Butina was transferred to a general regime of detention.
Now she is allowed to walk in the open air, use the gym, and, most importantly, communicate with others, because before this decision, Maria spent 35 days in solitary confinement.
I think that this is the end of the first stage of the struggle for total liberation of our compatriot, which is actively conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and all people in Russia and abroad who care.
I continue to closely monitor the fate of Maria Butina and do my best for her early release and homecoming.